Without Extremes
by Irene-thewriter
Summary: We always talk or think about extremes. I'll only say one, only one that you can prove by yourself. Friendship, what does it costs?
1. The Big Bag Wolf

_Extremes: author's note_

We always think about extremes. The ultimate love, is from the _lover_. The more that you can give is _life_. And friends? And souls? Well, i won't talk about extremes. I'm sick and tired of them. The only extreme thing I'll say is that friends are here to keep you breathing, and that's true. No one can say no.

Who is there to hold your hand, when your family is gone? Who is there to receive you at any time of the day and night? Who walks one, two, three or even five streets more just to keep you company? Who will be there?

This will be a story about only _friendship_. You don't know how it hurts me that it won't be about romance too, but I made up my mind and, besides, i've promised it to a friend. So who am i to say her no?

_**-**_

I'm going to start with the typical words, so nobody can forget them. _Once upon a time, in a far away land_, there was a bridesmaid drinking champagne and laughing. Everyone at the unknown wedding was eating, chatting, laughing, dancing. A casual wedding in a casual day with a casual couple, that soon was going to turn into a dusk.

When the last solar beam had dissappeard, the bridesmaid stood, and everyone went silent. She passed her gaze around the room, looking at every guest in the eye.

"When Mary first told me she had a new boyfriend" she started her speech, "I was so surprised and happy that almost fainted. Mary, you can say it's true" She smiled. "Four years later she came in the middle of the night nocking at my door _ordering _me to open up. I'm sure all the neighbourhood heard her call" Many people laughed, some nodding. "She was all tears and smiles, and between happy whimpers she told that this _brave_ man, sitted here beside me, had propoused her" She laughed lightly. The maid of honor took the glass and raised it in a toast. "For my happy friends, for a unique couple, for an everlasting marriage and your love, Mary." 'For our friends' they all said.

When the bridesmaid drank the champagne, she felt it a little strange. It had another taste, something bitter. Then the darkness sorrounded her, and the world of dreams took her forever.

_-_

_Once upon a time, in another far away land_, there were two little girls walking through the woods, talking and laughing like only a little child like them could.

"Daddy will _love_ the cookies!" said the smaller one, Sarah. She had blond (almost white) hair and light green eyes. Like a fairy if you may say.

"I'm sure he won't mind us coming if he smells them. I already want to eat them" said the bigger one, Juliana, touching slightly the warm cookies.

"_Don't _touch them!" screamed her sister, "They are for Daddy!"

"I know, I know." There was a silent between them, when suddenly Juliana exclaimed.

"I always wondered why Daddy didn't want us to come to the woods. There is no danger"

"He even _ordered_ us not to" her little sister whispered, like it was a sin.

They kept going, passing trees and giggling when they saw a little animal. They were innocent. The two sisters went to a medaw, were they found a knife.

"It's a lucky we came!" said Sarah. "Daddy will only thank us for bringing him this too!"

"I wonder why did he left it here, he never goes around without it, right?" said Juliana throughfully.

"He might have just dropped it"

"We should hurry, Sar. I don't like in here."

"Why?" the little one sked, but instead her sister took her arm and pulled her to the east.

Something was out there, watching. Its steps couldn't have been heard by any human. It saw the two little girls, and he saw meal. He looked ahead, running wild without a sound through the woods, and found a man making fire, unaware of the presence from both the girls and the animal.

The wolf returned his attention to the sisters. The one that responded to the name of Juliana had forgotten her previous fear apparently. They were laughing, the careless laugh innocence could make them made. They were getting nearer and nearer to their father. He couldn't let it happen. The wolf run like a storm to the poor man, husband and father and hitted his side throwing him aside, as the beast turned and went to his neck. He was finished in mere minutes, between loudly screams that went lower as his death came for him. The wolf smiled to himself, proud of what he had done. He turned again to meet the little girls and found them looking at him and his father with wide eyes. Good. He started approching, sensing their fear. They were trembling. He produced a low growl, to tie them to the ground, but instead, they run away. Damn, the little girls could run! But the wolf was faster. He cathed them up, and cut their way. Juliana took her sister's hand, and run to the other way, as fast as they could. They were reaching the medaw where they found their dead father, when a glow surrounded them and everything they could see was light. The only assurance that the other one was near were their locked hands. The sisters couldn't hear the wolf anymore.

Time passed.

It could have been years, centuries, an eternity. Or it could have been yesterday. Anyway, they hitted the ground.

"Where are we?" asked Sarah.

"I don't know, Sari. Be close to me." Answered her sister in a whisper. They began walking through the field, awkardly like their house. After some hours, they found a house, and run to it.

"Open, please! Open up!" they screamed with joy. The door started to open, slowly. Standing next to it, appeard a tall boy a little older than they. He had black hair and brown eyes, with bronze skin. He had a simple shirt and brown pants (it was a little difficult to say, 'cause they were very, _VERY_, dirty).

"What you want?" his voice was rude.

"Let's be polite, shall we?" Said another deep voice, from the back of the door. And then appeard and old man, with gray hair, next to the boy. His eyes were brown. "Please, little ladies, come on, in. You must be cold, don't you?"

"Yes, thank you, sir." They mumbled. Juliana and Sarah were taken to a little room they suppoused it should be the living.

"I'm sorry for my nephew. We're not used to have visits, unless it's from robers" He laughed a little. From nowhere, the old's man nephew came with a tray with tea and cookies. They served four cups, and handed them two.

"Thank you sir" Mumbled Juliana.

"Don't worry about it. So, what's your name, little lady?" said the man.

"I'm Juliana, and this is my sister, Sarah."

"Okay, Juliana, Sarah, my name is Nimgromon, and this is my nephew Antonio" Antonio didn't look at them, he had his gaze on his uncle. "So, what are two yung girls like you doing alone in our lands?"

"We don't really know, sir" answered Juliana. "We were at home, baking some cookies, when we though of bringing them to our father. We were at the woods, when we heard a scream. We instantly knew it was from papa, so we run to where he was and found..." the air seemed to fade, as she was teling them the death of their father. It was just too scary and confusing to talk about it. But they had to ask for help. Even if it was from weird people like them. "So, we found him... d-dead." Their tears made their way to their cheeks. "And next to him t-there was a... a wo-wolf! And he looked at us" Juliana's voice rose several octaves as the air faded away "He looked at us, and i felt so cold, so much cold. So we started to run, and he run after us! He cuted our way, so we turned and run to the other side, and then, and then... then... We were here." Nimgromon, run to them and trapped on a big hug.

Antonio kept his distance, but took the cups from their hands. When the old man released the girls he said:  
"You're safe here. You can count on us."

"Where are we, sir?" asked Sarah, that inmediately felt attached to him.

"You are at The Filious Castle, in Meryland."

"How far are we from Sea-Apple?" asked Juliana.

"Sea-Apple? I'm sorry, i don't know where that is."

"And the Red Earth's Bay?!"

"The what?"

"What about The Death Mountains?!" asked Sarah in panic. When your fear is gone, but there is no sense of protectiveness neither, panic overtakes the bet of us.

"I'm sorry. I can't tell you about it...." The owner of the castle turned to his nephew. "Antonio?" the boy looked at him and Nimgomon nodded. Antonio looked at him with such a hateful gaze that sent a shiver to Sarah spine.

"What you want me to say to them?" he talked as if they weren't there wich angered both sisters.

"Everything they ask you about, would be nice. If you don't want to, then tell them how you came here. And stop talking like that little man, i can kick you out of here if i want to." Antonio sighed and asked them.

"Which is the name of your country." It was an order more than a question.

"Fondground" and the name shook something in all of them.

"We were at war with them at that time, Nim." He said turning to his uncle. Nimgromon nodded. "I know you won't believe it, so at least don't freak out. Promise?"

"We promise."

"Okay... em, well..." he hesitated "let's say you are in a different dimension... er, another world? Something like that"

"_WHAT?!?!_"

"You promise!" he shouted. They calmed down as best as they could. "I used to live in Thliusfield, i don't even remember very well the name of my country. At that time it didn't matter. I went hunting with my brother, Filian, and we were attacked by a wolf too. Filian died, and i passed through the portal"

"What's this portal?" asked Juliana.

"Well, actually it's an assumpition of mine. I think it must be somekind of door that connects every parallel dimmension or world. Whatever you prefer." He went silent, and the girls didn't want to know much more.

After a long hour, Nimgromon talked.

"You must be tired, right? Let me guide you to your room" All of them rised to their feets, and while the man carried Juliana and Sarah to their room upstairs, Antonio took the untouched cups to the kitchen.

"Well, girls, this will be our little story. I'm sorry it's going to be sad. You two are my cousin's daughter. Your parents died on a trip to The Cliffs. Tomorrow i'll show you some maps. And... here is your room!" He opened a black door, that leaded to a wood-color bedroom, with two beds with green sheets. There were windows at North and East. Up in the roof was a big chandelier lamp with some green cristals. "Feel like home, please. Breakfast is at eight. You won't have to do anything tomorrow, aside going with me shopping, but maybe i'll assign some work for plus-tomorrow."

"All right, sir"

"Call me Nim, if you want, girls" They mumbled something incomprehendible, but he undestood the intention. He left them to accommodatte. Nimgromon went downstairs, to the kitchen, were the boy was washing the dishes. "You know, Antonio... Those two could be so useful..."

"You plan on using them, too?" asked Antonio skeptical. Nimgromon just shrugged.

"No, my boy, of couse not. I'm a scientist, after all, I can feel it. They have powers, maybe a little less than you..."

"I told you, one more kid and I won't stop myself on killing you" interrupted Antonio.

"I know, i know... It's just-" He sighed. "Such a waste"

"You give them a home, i give you your life" Antonio threatened.

"I could kill you too, you know..."

"I'd like to see you try" They both chuckled.


	2. Antonio

**Dear Reader:** Sorry for the waiting. It's just things with me aren't going too well lately and i've got a lot of work to do yet. Chapter one (the big bad wolf) was changed only a little bit, moved some comas around and some words, so don't waste too much time reading it. I did it to organize myself properly xD And i'm so very sorry for not updating for so long, and i'm sorry if this isn't much. In this chapter there're not many things that have changed, again, it's for my own organization. Anyhow i hope you like it, and if you don't let me know! 

I know, i know, i'll leave you to read it then, review!

_**Antonio. **_

Next morning, Nimgromon, went to the girls room, and found them sound asleep. He smiled and went down the stairs, founding his nephew in the kitchen.

"You told them breakfast was at eight, right?" he said. His uncle only nodded. They both looked at the clock above the door. Seven thirty. "I'll go and wake them up. Carry our breakfast to the table please." He ordered.

"Don't be so arrogant boy. I'm still the master of this castle." Nim pouted, angry.

"Not for long if you keep that mood. I'm now your legal nephew. Be careful" the boy warned, and exited the room.

"Damn boy"

Antonio rolled his eyes, and headed up the stairs. The girls would be a big problem, they'll need to keep their conversations very low if they didn't want them to hear. And those had a good hearing. Better than his? Maybe. Someday they would be able to control things and that would be _the_ problem. And when they began to glow, oh, God, what would be of them? He burst open the door and window. Then shook angrily the sleeping beauties, until finally they woke up and left the room yelling breakfast was ready.

"Really, that kid doesn't know manners!" he heard one of them say. Juliana. Antonio could only imagine how her glow would be. A dark shade of red for her temper, maybe.

"I think he kinda hates us" said the other shyly. Sarah. She'd have a light green or yellow halo most surely. She was the innocence's body.

"But he doesn't even know us!" _Yeah, that's right little girl, but you better wish for me not to know you_, Antonio thought. There was a long pause, in which Antonio had reached the ground floor.

"He's very lonely, don't you think, Jul?" Antonio rolled his eyes.

"Yeah. But that doesn't give him the right to hate us without knowing!" she huffed. _Ha._

"Well, everyone can hate whatever and whoever they want for their own reasons" The little one was more comprehensible. She understood things without knowing. Her sister mumbled something the boy didn't catch, but Sarah's voice was heavy in the air, when she answered. "I don't know, and i'm not going to ask if they don't tell me. We came here for protection, Juliana, remember that. The least we can do is try to help and don't bother them. Even if it's not fair" And with that, she stood and began to dress herself.

Antonio sat on the dinning room's table and began to eat. Strange girls. Nimgromon had finished his breakfast and was washing his dishes. The girls came, finally, saying 'good morning' and started eating too, in silence.

"Excuse me, sir, what are we going to do today?" said Juliana.

"Well, i was thinking that maybe you could come with me for shopping. You'll need some clothes, and we need more wood, too. Then you could start cleaning your room and setting on. Do you know how to cook?" he answered with a sweet voice. Antonio glared at him.

"Yes, sir" they answered at the same time.

"Please, just call me Nimgromon or Nim. There's no use for formalities"

"Sure, er, Nim" Juliana said.

Glaring one last time to his uncle, Antonio left the room. Stupid old man. The boy could only imagine how would he kill him, limb by limb until he reached his bones. Starting from his legs... Shaking his head, he went to the back garden, where they kept the chickens and a cow. The sheeps where far, but in sight.

"Do you always do all the housework?" said a voice from behind. He didn't turn.

"Most times, but Nim helps a lot" the answer came as a hiss.

"I don't really see him making breakfast, thank you" she said with her childish voice.

"I don't know why you're thanking me" he finally turned.

"You know it very well Antonio." She exclaimed. The boy smiled at the little girl.

"Whatever" He took a bascket full of chicken food and began walking to the stable, followed closely by the animals and the little girl.

"I'm sorry about your brother" she said, sitting on the floor. The boy shuggred. "How was your home?"

"My mother had just died when i crossed the portal. She had gone to visit my grandmother, and she got sick. After two months she died. So my brother and i were forced to work. We went to the forest to cut some wood and the wolf attacked us. You know the rest if you paied attention." Antonio looked at Sarah with icy eyes.

"I'm sorry"

"It was a long time ago."

"How was your daddy?" the girl asked innocently. Another old wave came to her as soon as the question left her lips. There was silence. Even the animals weren't making a sound.

"I never met him, really He left before i was born"

"I'm sorry"

"If you say that again i'll kick you out of here" he threatened.

"Why do you hate us so much?" she said irritated.

"Because you're an inconviniense"

"And may i ask why is that?" she asked annoyed. Antonio grinned, before turning around to face her. It still shocked him how much she resembled him of _her_. _Her_, that left him alone and forced him to refuge under Nimgromon's walls. _Her_, who ruined his life by just looking at him the most hateful of ways. _Her_, the one that turned his whole world upside down. Sarah had her same light-green eyes, and the same kind of smile. Her hair shade was a little darker than _hers_. Just like Filian had, but Filian had to die and had to stay in the past. That was it. But this girl had also the same aura around her, maybe a little darker. It would be a sight when she shone for the first time.

"Even if you ask, you won't know the answer." Pause "Not right now at least"


End file.
